inspiring the food on your table & celebrating the people who surround it

Asana House Juice Bar and Cafe

Originally opened in 2008 as a yoga studio with a small juice bar in the back, Asana House Juice Bar and Cafe was juicing long before it became mainstream and cool. Debbie, still the founder and owner, says when she opened Asana House, they were one of the only juice bars around. Now, with the yoga studio next-door and the juice bar expanded to include a full menu, Asana House still leads the pack. Their menu is stacked with healthy, made to order, affordable juices and smoothies, and flavorful lunch and brunch options to satisfy both vegans and non-vegans in town.

Greg, who took over as the manager of Asana House in November, expanded the menu to include an all day brunch, seven days a week. From french toast with bananas and cinnamon, to the super popular breakfast burritos (hot sauce and avocado optional), Asana’s has all your brunch cravings covered. Their lunch specials include fresh and bright salads, wraps, and quesadillas, stacked with healthy favorites like avocado, sprouts, and house made hummus. You can even take a container of the hummus home; its deliciously garlicky and creamy, and unlike anything you can find in the supermarket. They also offer two seasonal soups of the day: one hot and one raw, made from a mix of greens, avocado, and their special spice mix. Most menu items have a yoga pose name; a nod to the studio next door.

Even with this flavorful and curated menu, the fresh pressed juices and smoothies remain Asana House’s biggest draw. They offer ten made to order juice options, all tempting and vividly fresh. The most popular, The All Green, with kale, spinach, celery, cucumber, lemon, apple, and ginger, would be palatable even to the most green-juice adverse skeptic. The All Green and The Soho Beauty, a blend of pineapple, cucumber, celery, lemon, lime, and mint, rank at the top of my list, with the Liver Cleanse, a mix of grapefruit, grapes, lemon, orange, and beet, a close third. Considering Whole Foods charges upwards of $9 for some of their shelf stable juices, paying $6.54 per juice (they’re a good size) at Asana House for a fresh pressed juice makes so much more sense.

For those looking for a serious health boost, Asana House can make you a fresh shot of wheatgrass, or a shot of E3Live Algea with lime and ginger. You’ll have so much energy you might even consider skipping your morning coffee, though you can grab a fresh cup at Asana House if you’re so inclined. If you’re in the market for a cleanse, Asana House will outfit you with a thoughtful and sustaining 1-5 day program with juices, smoothies, and a filling soup.

With a small staff who seems to know nearly every customer by name, Asana House instantly makes you feel like a welcomed regular. Lots of juice bars give off a pretentious, holier than thou vibe; you won’t find a stitch of that attitude at Asana House. They offer a friendly, unpretentious mix of health food and delicious food, though here you’ll find that they’re one and the same. A place that serves wheatgrass shots alongside quesadillas made with real cheese (if you’re so inclined) is a rare find indeed.

As the weather warms up, Asana House plans to expand their offerings. Their large lot in the back (where you can park for free) will soon be home to live music and outdoor seating, and possibly a smoker. Greg hopes to bring his love of BBQ to Asana House, serving up smokey, delicious dishes through the summer. Equally as exciting is the noodle bar set to open during dinner time hours. Asana House plans to close as usual at 5, then reopen at 6 with made to order ramen noodle bowls. Greg found a local purveyor to supply fresh homemade ramen noodles, which make those sad, dried out packs of ramen look like a different breed altogether.

I was lucky enough to get a preview of the ramen noodle bowl last week. Made with a fresh miso broth, with chili paste added for heat, a tangle of the freshest ramen noodles I’ve ever had, slivers of baby bok choy, meaty soy soaked mushrooms, sprouts, bamboo shoots, scallions, and a hard-boiled egg, its safe to say the entire bowl was absolutely delicious. Well balanced and unmistakably fresh, the care and thought in each component is unmistakable. My noodle bowl was so substantial that I brought half of it home, and happily enjoyed it cold the next day- still entirely enjoyable. Greg also found a purveyor to supply them with homemade pho noodles, adding a fantastic gluten-free option to the noodle bar. I know I’ll be first in line when the noodle bar opens in a few weeks.

UPDATE: The noodle bar, called Slurp, is officially open! Come by Monday-Thursday nights to try out some of these fantastic ramen and pho noodle bowls.